<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>technically old friends, but what do you do when tragedy strikes? by easybakedoodles (Madrugada98)</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29663331">technically old friends, but what do you do when tragedy strikes?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madrugada98/pseuds/easybakedoodles'>easybakedoodles (Madrugada98)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>a tale of too many wardens because i want everyone to be happy and heres how [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dragon Age: Origins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alistair and Stephan sit and talk about brothers and death for a bit, Prince Alistair AU, not really shippy but establishing their friendship for sure</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 22:55:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,118</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29663331</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madrugada98/pseuds/easybakedoodles</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This entire time Stephan and Alistair have been repairing their friendship and taking care of Oren with Fergus just a lil one where stephan is tired and insomniac and just got oren back to sleep and alistair is on watch and they talk about their brothers and about trepidation over whats to come - my notes from this AU</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alistair/Male Cousland (Dragon Age)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>a tale of too many wardens because i want everyone to be happy and heres how [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/820596</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>technically old friends, but what do you do when tragedy strikes?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>     Stephan usually set up his tent on the far north side of the campsite. Not many had followed, most likely due to the fact that the wind was going north, and now every breath Stephan took smelled just slightly like the smoke wafting off the campfire. He didn’t mind being alone though, in fact, he usually preferred it that way. However, lately, Prince Alistair had taken to setting up his tent near Stephan’s. Part of Stephan thought it was because since they had retreated from Ostagar, Stephan was the only other non-Warden, and was also the only other one close to the Prince’s age.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Stephan sat at the entrance of his own tent, pretending to sharpen his greatsword as he watched the prince struggle just a bit with his own tent. Stephan wouldn’t lie, Alistair had gotten much better at setting up his own tent, especially since the night after Stephan had fled Castle Cousland with nothing but his nephew and his sword on his back. He pushed those thoughts aside as Alistair wrestled with the last tarp, trying to get it to lay at the corners perfectly. Finally, Alistair dramatically sat down next to Stephan, letting out an exaggerated huff after all of his hard work paid off. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “I think I’m actually getting good at this! Don’t you think so Cousland?” the prince asked, gesturing to his own tent, proudly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “I think you’ve forgotten to secure your tarp at the top,” Stephan said dryly, lying in hopes of riling the prince up a little.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Oh I have not!” Alistair said, starting to smile as he shoved at Stephan’s shoulder playfully. Stephan hid his smile by turning his head, trying to not chuckle at the prince. As he got himself under control, he turned back to look at the Prince, who was just staring at Stephan, a slight smile on his face. When Alistair seemed to realize he was just staring at the other man, his face flushed and he quickly turned his head to clear his throat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     After a moment Alistair turned back to Stephan, and asked hesitantly, “How are you doing?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Stephan was taken aback by the forwardness of the Prince’s question, and could tell that he didn’t mean the question in a lighthearted way. As much as Stephan would have loved to avoid the question and move to a lighter topic, but he knew Alistair wouldn’t have asked if he wasn’t genuinely concerned about Stephan.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “I’m not sure what to say,” Stephan admitted, “I know in my heart that Highever will rebuild, and that it will recover. But for now I can’t stop seeing them. Nan, Oriana, Lady Landra, Darrien, and Iona. My mother, and my father. We have no idea what happened, if Howe and his men remain there, squatting, plotting for if Fergus and I try to return. He knows that the country will be distracted with watching and waiting to see what happens here in Ostagar, and if we are able to successfully drive back the darkspawn,” Stephan trailed off, turning back to the Prince, trying to gauge his reaction. Alistair saw the fire raging at Castle Cousland, he understood that having such a grim final look at your home did not inspire much hope. Stephan saw the Prince’s face try to hide his pity, and so Stephan turned away to speak again, finding Fergus and Oren’s tent, and Calenhad laying near Oren’s feet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “I have to remind myself that I was fast enough to save Oren, and that Fergus hadn’t gotten far by the time of the attack. That Cal was with me, and heard Howe’s men heading for us. That my mother was able to protect me, and that she was going to protect Father, no matter the cost,” Stephan felt Alistair’s heavy gaze and blinked quickly to avoid tears.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Their love for each other, and for the three of you, was the most powerful thing I’d ever been blessed to witness,” Alistair said softly, causing Stephan to choke back a fresh wave of tears. “I didn’t get to meet your mother too many times, but I remember the way he’d speak passionately about the things you all got up to, away from court. I always wanted him to bring you or Fergus along to Denerim, just to have someone around other than Cailan,”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “I remember when we first met at your introduction to the court. Your father looked so proud, and I wondered if mine had ever looked at me with the same expression. I know now that he does, I just know that it can be easy to forget, with the pressure on our shoulders. Our fathers are proud of us, always. I know he’d be proud of you and Fergus coming with us and offering your aid.” Alistair finished. Stephan could only shrug, for there really wasn’t any other choice, aside from it being the “right” thing to do, the two brothers needed a way to find help to take Howe down for what he’d done. He looked over at the family crest adorning the shield his brother had left resting against his tent, feeling a fresh wave of sorrow pass through him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “I honestly don’t know what I would have done if Fergus hadn’t seen the smoke and rode back for us. I don’t think I would have been able to protect Oren and myself on my own,” Stephan said, gaze still locked towards his brother’s tent, where his nephew and dog were resting together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Having a brother is like nothing else. Someone capable of truly having your back and wanting nothing more than to keep you safe, but also capable of knowing exactly how to infuriate you like no one else. I never thought I’d actually miss Cailan’s antics, but now that I’ve been traveling with Duncan for so long, I think I’m looking forward to finally getting to Ostagar,” Alistair said with a wry smile. “I guess the same could be said for any family member really, but my father never quite managed to piss me off quite like Cailan did when he drunkenly vomited in my boots,”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Stephan couldn’t help but laugh, having never thought that the Crown Prince would do such a thing. Considering Prince Cailan was constantly minded, not just by his wife, but by the near dozen hovering servants all determined to keep him from breaking something precious. Alistair’s smile turned into a grin, happy that he could turn the mood around and bring Stephan a bit of joy during the difficult time they were in. Since they had started travelling together, not much had improved Cousland’s mood, and Alistair wanted more than anything to keep Stephan happy like this.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed and feel free to talk to me about this AU!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>